The Hartt School Welcomes New Faculty Members

The Hartt School of the University of Hartford is pleased to announce the addition of three new full-time faculty members, beginning in the 2016-17 academic year:

• Carrie Koffman, Assistant Professor of Saxophone
• Ayako Oshima, Assistant Professor of Clarinet
• Haim Avitsur, Associate Professor of Trombone

"Carrie, Ayako and Haim are wonderful additions to our dedicated faculty here at Hartt," said T. Clark Saunders, Interim Dean of The Hartt School. "I'm thrilled to welcome three accomplished musicians and educators and look forward to their contributions to Hartt's top-level performance standards."

Carrie Koffman has taught at The Hartt School in various capacities for 13 years, and has held the past position of Assistant Professor of Saxophone at both Penn State University and University of New Mexico. She currently performs in the contemporary chamber music duo The Irrelevants, and has been a featured soloist in many orchestras. A founding member of the American Saxophone Academy, Koffman has performed in international festivals and conventions, including the World Saxophone Congress in St. Andrews, Scotland, Bangkok, Thailand and Minnesota. Koffman's saxophone students have placed in over 90 different performance competitions including winning 18 university concerto competitions at four different universities.

Ayako Oshima is one of the most celebrated clarinet soloists in Japan. Oshima has won numerous international competitions, including the 55th JapanMusic Competition in Tokyo and the Winds and Percussion Competition in Japan, and was a 3rd prize winner in the 17th International Jeunesses Musicales Competition in Belgrade where she also received the Golden HarpAward. She performs regularly, is active in international festivals, and is a founding member of L'Art Respirant, one of the first new music ensembles in Japan. Oshima is the founder and director of the Kita Karuizawa Music Seminar and has written and had published a book on the fundamentals of clarinet technique.

Haim Avitsur has held past positions on the faculties of the School of Music at West Chester University and the University of Pennsylvania, and served as Principal Trombonist of the Charlottesville Symphony Orchestra. He has premiered over 80 new pieces that encompass a broad range of styles. Avitsur performs regularly, and is a member of the New York Brass Arts Trio. In the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons, Avitsur premiered a trombone/shofar concerto composed by Meira Warshauer with orchestras including the USC Symphony Orchestra, the Brevard Philharmonic, the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra, and the Western Piedmont Symphony Orchestra.